For most people, buying a new roof is one of the most important and expensive maintenance decisions for their biggest investment. For many homeowners, the cheapest option is the default choice, while others choose a style they like and leave the details to a contractor.

It’s not always easy to find out who makes your roofing material. It can be even harder to find out if they recycle or work to minimize their environmental impact. But the impact of our roofing choices, both on our homes and on the environment, is too great to ignore.

We’ve researched roofing materials and manufacturers to make it easier to buy an eco-friendly roof. Our results are far from comprehensive, but as more consumers begin to demand this information, more manufacturers will begin to provide it. When they do, we’ll update our sustainable roofing results.

Materials

This article looks at the pros and cons of the most common manufactured roofing materials. We don’t include natural roofing materials in the comparison chart since they aren’t manufactured.

Asphalt Shingle

Asphalt is the most affordable roofing option. It’s so common that when people talk about roofing, they often mean asphalt shingles. About 75% of single-family homes in the U.S. have them.

Laminate shingles (also called architectural or dimensional) are fiberglass layered between asphalt and ceramic granules. They can be made to look like more expensive materials, such as tile, wood, and slate. Although slightly more expensive than basic three-tab asphalt shingles, laminate shingles perform better. Single-plane shingle roofs (also called 3-tab) are the easiest roofs to retrofit with a solar panel system. Several asphalt tile manufacturers offer solar-compatible or solar-integrated asphalt roofs.

Asphalt roofs usually last 20 to 25 years, but some newer, high-quality ones can last 40 years or more. While asphalt shingles can technically be recycled, most still end up in landfills. The shingles recycler, GAF, report that over 13 million tons of asphalt shingles are removed from U.S. roofs each year, and less than 10% are recycled. The rest go to landfills, where they can take 300 to 400 years to break down.

On the bright side, shingle-to-shingle recycling is improving, with CertainTeed’s RenuCore technology and GAF’s RoofCycle process helping to create more circular options for asphalt shingles.

Wood Shingle and Shake

Handmade wood shakes are valued for their natural appearance and are known for being expensive. However, machine-made wood shingles cost only a bit more than asphalt. Wood shingles can develop mold, split, or rot in damp climates.

Untreated wood shakes don’t have a fire safety rating, so many places with wildfire risk don’t allow them. Fire retardants can help wood shingles and shakes reach a Class B fire rating, and adding extra materials to the roof can help them meet Class A standards. Chemically treated shingles can’t be composted. Even with these issues, wood roofs can last 25 to 30 years, and with careful upkeep in mild climates, they may last up to 50 years.

Getting wood shingles or shakes from a local sawmill cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions from transport and ensures the wood species fits your region. Whether you buy locally or from a national brand, look for FSC-certified wood.

Metal

Metal roofing options include steel, aluminum, copper, and alloy strips. They come in various shapes and textures, from standing seam panels to shingles that resemble tile or slate. Metal can be more expensive than asphalt, but, except for copper, it remains among the more affordable long-term roofing options when lifecycle costs are considered. Proper installation and good insulation are required to minimize noise from rainfall and wind “chatter.” Metal is lightweight, virtually fireproof (Class A fire rating), and particularly suited to solar panel systems. Metal roofs last 40 to 70 years or more, and they are the most easily recycled roofing material, as metal is 100% recyclable at end of its useful life as roofing.

Tile

Tile roofs are common on Mission and Spanish-style homes in the western and southwestern U.S. While they’re often found in desert areas, some tiles, like Ludowici’s that meet ASTM C1167 frost-resistance standards, can be used in cold climates too. Roof tiles can be made from terracotta clay, ceramic, or concrete. Tile roofs are heavy and may need extra framing. Concrete tiles cost less than clay but offer many of the same benefits. Clay tile roofs can last 50 to 100 years or more, while concrete tiles usually last 40 to 50 years.

Slate

Slate roofs are heavy enough to require extra framing. As arguably the most expensive roofing material, they are not an option for most budgets. But they are also nearly indestructible, with a lifespan of 50 to 100 years or more. Be aware of the origin of the slate that will be used, as the sustainability and durability can vary. Because slate is so heavy, the distance slate tiles must be shipped will significantly affect not only the cost but the environmental impact of choosing this natural material.

Synthetic Roofing

Synthetic roofing can be made from materials like plastic, clay, rubber, or asphalt, and is often designed to look like natural materials such as slate or wood. Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing, usually used on flat or low-slope roofs, is still one of the top-rated cool roofing products. GenTite offers TPO for homes, and Westlake Royal Building Products’ DaVinci roofing provides composite slate and shake roofing as lighter and more affordable alternatives to natural materials.

Not many synthetic materials have been around long enough to know how they’ll perform over time. Still, some show promise, with strong performance ratings and 50-year warranties. Synthetic roofs could be a good choice for those willing to research, but we haven’t included them in our manufactured roofing comparison below.

Roofing Rating Criteria

When reviewing sustainable roofing, we consider a variety of factors, including warranties and certifications.

Longevity

The lifespan of your roof is largely determined by the material you choose. Slate roofing has the longest average lifespan, and wood or 3-tab asphalt shingles have the shortest. However, individual products can be manufactured to higher standards, so a very good asphalt roof may last as long as an average metal one. For our comparison of manufactured roofs, we started with metal roofs ranked highest, followed by tile, then asphalt. Then we modified the manufacturers’ rankings based on warranties.

Energy Efficiency

The radiative properties of roofing materials are solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Both are rated on a scale of 0 to 1, where 1 is the most reflective or emissive. The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) maintains the Rated Products Directory, which is now the primary standard for evaluating roof energy performance since the ENERGY STAR roofing program ended in June 2022.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a reflective cool roof can stay more than 50°F cooler than a conventional roof under the same conditions. Cool roofs can reduce cooling energy costs by 7–15% or more, minimize temperature fluctuations inside the home, and reduce the urban heat island effect. In our comparison, we focused on manufacturers whose products are rated by the CRRC and have high solar reflectance values. Keep in mind that even top manufacturers make some products that don’t meet cool roof standards.

You can install solar panels on almost any roof, but we gave higher rankings to manufacturers that offer solar-integrated or solar-compatible roofing systems.

Recycling Practices

All of the roofing materials we considered are technically recyclable. However, in practice, many homeowners have trouble finding local recycling options — particularly for asphalt shingles. When ranking manufacturers, we considered their use of recycled materials, their recycling practices in production facilities, and their circular-economy initiatives.

Federal Tax Incentives

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, accelerated the phase-out of the Section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act. The original expiration was the end of 2032, but the new expiration date was December 31, 2025. Homeowners who had qualifying cool roof products installed and operational by December 31, 2025 can still claim the credit on their 2025 tax return.

Comparison Chart

Meet the Manufacturers

Malarkey

The family-founded Malarkey Roofing Products, established in Oregon in 1956 and now a member of Holcim Building Envelope, continues to lead the industry in sustainable shingle innovation. All Malarkey shingles include 3M Smog-Reducing Granules that use photocatalytic technology to convert nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) into water-soluble nitrate salts, actively reducing air pollution. Each average-sized roof has a smog-fighting effect equivalent to planting approximately two trees, according to data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and 3M.

Malarkey’s proprietary NEX® Polymer Modified (Rubberized) Asphalt incorporates upcycled rubber from tires and post-consumer plastics into the shingle asphalt, diverting waste from landfills while improving durability. Their 2024 Sustainability Report noted cumulative totals of approximately 6.8 million upcycled rubber tires and 4.5 billion upcycled plastic bags diverted from landfills. All three Malarkey manufacturing facilities are GreenCircle Certified for both Recycled Product Content and Waste Diversion from Landfill.

Ludowici

Ludowici has been making clay tiles from locally sourced materials harvested within six miles of the plant, since 1888. They offer a 75-year warranty on standard products, with an expected lifespan of more than a century. Many of Ludowici’s 58 standard colors provide a Solar Reflective Index (SRI) greater than 39, making them an energy-efficient option without limiting design choices.

Although the standard product uses 3% post-industrial recycled materials, the Ludo360 product line uses 40% recycled material from clay scrap, shale, and waste. Ludowici’s manufacturing process generates no waste, and all products are 100% recyclable, either reused as vintage roofing or crushed for construction fill and filter applications.

Interlock Metal Roof Systems

Interlock specializes in aluminum metal roofing systems manufactured in Delta, British Columbia. Their variety of profiles — including slate, cedar shingle, shake, Mediterranean tile, and standing seam — includes solar-compatible bracket systems. The company suggests you’ll “Never Re-Roof Again,” and Interlock backs its products with a Lifetime Limited Warranty that is transferable to a second homeowner as a 50-year non-prorated warranty.

Interlock roofing panels contain up to 95% recycled aluminum and are 100% recyclable at end of life. The proprietary Alunar® Cool Roof Coating System reflects heat to reduce cooling costs by up to 25%. Interlock roofing was selected for the SPOT MODULE Project, which supports the South Pole Overland Traverse in Antarctica.

CertainTeed (Saint-Gobain)

CertainTeed, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain (the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction), operates more than 60 manufacturing facilities in North America. The company makes more than 300 residential roofing products, primarily asphalt but also metal roof tiles that resemble clay, slate, and shake. Warranties range from 10 years to lifetime depending on the product.

CertainTeed’s CoolStar granule technology yields CRRC-rated products. They also offer a solar-integrated roofing system. A major recent development is RenuCore™, a patented technology that pelletizes both post-industrial and post-consumer asphalt shingle waste for reuse in hot mix asphalt paving — a meaningful step toward circular economy practices for asphalt roofing. Saint-Gobain’s broader sustainability commitment includes a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and a 49% reduction in landfill waste was recently achieved at the Shreveport, Louisiana roofing facility.

Westlake Royal Roofing

In 2021, Westlake Chemical Corporation acquired Boral North America’s building products businesses, and in January 2022, launched the unified Westlake Royal Building Products brand, bringing together the former Boral roofing lines with Royal Building Products and DaVinci Roofscapes. The former Boral brands were rebranded as follows: US Tile (premium clay), Newpoint Concrete Tile Roofing (formerly Boral Concrete), Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing (formerly Boral Steel), and DaVinci Roofscapes (composite slate and shake). Westlake Royal also offers its own integrated roofing components line including high-performance underlayments like SwiftGuard and the Sol-R-Skin BLUE radiant barrier.

US Tile’s clay products carry a 50-year warranty and contain up to 59% recycled raw materials, and they are 100% recyclable at end of life. Westlake Royal’s clay tiles retain the Cradle to Cradle certification earned under Boral. All clay and concrete tiles carry a Class A fire rating, and select tiles include Class 3 or 4 hail impact ratings. Multiple products are CRRC-rated with cool roof–qualifying color options.

DaVinci Roofscapes composite tiles offer Class A fire, Class 4 impact, and 110 mph wind ratings with a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, positioning them as a durable alternative to natural slate and cedar shake without the weight or maintenance.

Eagle Roofing Products

Eagle Roofing Products is the concrete tile division of family-owned Burlingame Industries. Concrete tiles do not have the life expectancy of natural clay but are still likely to outlive their 25-year warranty. They match clay’s high solar reflectance values, and when installed with a sheathing ventilation system, can reduce heat transfer into the attic by almost 50% compared to an asphalt shingle roof.

Eagle’s standard tiles contain 2.5% recycled content; their lightweight products are made from 65% recycled material. Eagle has taken environmentally-minded steps in manufacturing, including reducing electricity usage and selecting vegetable- or water-based chemicals. Concrete tiles are heavy, so proximity to manufacturing matters: Eagle’s plants are in Rialto and Stockton, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Sumterville, Florida.

Berridge

Berridge Manufacturing Company, in business for more than 50 years, specializes in architectural sheet metal products, including roofing, selling directly to architects and contractors. Their watertightness warranty is 20 years (when installed by a Certified Applicator), and the expected lifespan of a Berridge metal roof is 40 to 70 years or more.

The company’s products contain roughly one-third recycled materials and feature advanced Kynar 500® and Hylar 5000® PVDF coatings that resist fading and chalking while reflecting solar radiation, contributing to energy savings and supporting LEED certification goals. Berridge’s 11 manufacturing facilities are concentrated in Texas and the South, though metal sheets are less carbon-intensive to ship than heavier materials like tile.

Tamko

Tamko is a family-owned business and one of the largest roofing manufacturers in America, specializing in asphalt shingle. They offer CRRC-rated products and a limited lifetime warranty on their shingles.

What’s Changed Since 2019

Since this guide was first published, several important changes have affected the world of sustainable roofing:

ENERGY STAR for roofing has been discontinued. The EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification program for roofing products officially ended in June 2022. The CRRC Rated Products Directory is now the standard for evaluating roof product reflectance and emittance. Builders, utilities, and code officials should reference CRRC ratings. The underlying reflectance thresholds (≥0.25 for steep-slope, ≥0.65 for low-slope) still serve as useful benchmarks.

Circular economy gains momentum. The asphalt shingle industry is making real progress on closing the loop. Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed launched RenuCore™, a shingle-to-paving recycling technology. GAF developed its patented RoofCycle™ process, which can use approximately 90% of collected shingle waste to manufacture new shingles, and has committed more than $100 million to scale the technology. Still, with over 13 million tons of shingle waste generated annually and less than 10% recycled, much work remains.

Cool roof science strengthened. Research published in Urban Sustainability found that city-wide adoption of cool roofs could reduce building HVAC energy consumption by 15–35% in current climates and even more dramatically under future warming scenarios, reinforcing the value of reflective roofing choices.

Editor’s Note: This article, originally published on April 8, 2019, and written by Gemma Alexander, was updated in February 2026 to include the latest manufacturer details, new sustainability information, and an updated comparison chart.

The post Sustainable Roofing Buyer’s Guide: 2026 Update appeared first on Earth911.

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